Emergency-switch



J. A. BOOTH- EMERGENCY SWITCH.

u [D on. 18. 1919.

Patenwd May 25., 1920.

Patented May 25, 1920.

JAMES A. BOOTH. or WHITBAY, WEST VIRGINIA.

EMERGENCY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma er, 1920.

Application filed October 18, 1919. Serial No. 331,530.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. BOOTH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Whitbay, in the county of Raleigh and State of West Virinia, have invented certain new and usefuFImprovements inEmergency-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an emergency switch or crossover, and has forits object the provision of means by which a railway car may be divertedfrom the main track of a railway system on to a spur without cutting therails of the main track, or the use of switch tongues or frogs, and isparticularly adapted to use in mines where it becomes necessary to shiftthe spurs leading from the main track into lateral tunnels where theface of the material being mined is constantly shifting in a directionparallel to the main track, by the removal. from the mine of thematerial being mined.

I accomplish this object by providing a pair of over-lying rails whichare curved to the proper radius, and are so constructed to present noobstacle in the line of travel of the wheels of a car, and which aresuperimposed upon the rails of the main track.

or a more comprehensive understanding of my invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, showing the means for securingthe emergency switch rails to the rails of the main track. i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the downward taper of thesuperimposed rails.

Fig. 4 is a cross section view taken on line a a Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross section view taken on line b b Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the bridle or spacing member for holdingsuperimposed rails in proper relation to each other.

Fig. 7 is the inner section of a clamp for securing the rails together.

Fig. 8 is the outer section of a clamp for the same purpose.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the drawings.

1 and 2 are the rails of the main track of a railway system. 3 and 4 arethe rails of the emergency switch, which are superimposed upon rails 1and 2, and which are tapered downwardly at their inner ends as shown at5-5, and are straight and lie parallel to rails 1 and 2 for a portion oftheir length from their inner ends, when they begin to turn outwardly asat 6-6, and which are held rigidly aflixed to rails 1 and 2 by clamps 7,8, 9, and 10. which lie against the inner and outer faces of rails 1 andand 3 and 1, respectively, rails 3 and 4 being held in proper spacedrelation to each other by bridle or spacing member 11, which is bentupwardly adjacent its outer ends as at 12-12, in order to provide aclearance over the top of rail 2, and which has bolted thereto wedgingchucks or blocks 13, which are adapted to lie against the inner faces ofthe webs 145 of superimposed rails 3 and 4, and hold the lower outeredges 15 of said rails firmly in the hooked ends 16-16 of bridle orspacing member 11. 17 and 18 are the inner and outer members,respectively, of a clamp between which the main rails and superimposedrails are clamped by means of bolts which are screw threaded at theirouter end for the reception thereon of nuts, clamping members 17 and 18having apertures 19 therethrough adjacent their upper ends, and rails 3and 4 having apertures therethrough which register with apertures 19 ofclamping members 17 and 18, through which bolts are passed, and the nutsscrewed up to the desired tension, while apertures 20 are providedadjacent the bottoms of clamping members 17 and 18, andv which areadapted to register with each other, and through which bolts, screwthreaded at their outer ends for the reception thereon of nuts, areinserted, and the nuts screwed up until the main and superimposed railsare held in a firm grip. Superimposed rails 3 and 4 are recessed ontheir inner faces for the reception therein of the inner members ofclamps 7, 8, 9, and 10, in order that the outer faces of the clampingmembers will be flush with the inner faces of the superimposed rails.Superimposed rails 3 and 4 lie in the same vertical plane as rails 1 and2 from theirinner ends to the full length of their downwardly taperedportion, in order to provide sufficient clearance for the flanges of thecar'wheels to pass over the top of rail 2.

Having thus described my inventiom what I claim is:

1. The combination with the rails of a railway track, rails superimposedthereon, clamping plates conforming to the contour of the faces of saidrails, one of said plates passing under the base of the lower rail andforming a junction with the other of said plates, and means for forcingsaid plates toward each other.

2. The combination with the rails of a railway track, rails superimposedthereon with a portion of their length lying pan allel to thefirst-named rails and the re mainder of their length lying tangentiallythereto and removably affixed to the said first-named rails, a spacingelement adapted to engage the base of one of the superimposed rails ateach end thereof.

3. The combination with the rails of a railway track, rails superimposedthereon, with a portion of their length lying tangentially to the saidfirst-named rails, a spacing element adapted to hold locked therein thebase of one of the superimposed rails at either end thereof, and aclearance provided in said spacing element for one of the firstnamedrails.

4. The combination with the rails of :1

railway track, rails superimposed thereon, with a portion of theirlength lying parallel to the firstnamed rails, and the remainder thereoflying tangentially thereto, a spacing element, flanges carried by theends of said spacing element and adapted to engage the outer edges ofthe bases of the last-named rails, and means for locking said rails inengagement therewith 5. The combination with the rails of a railwaytrack, rails superimposed thereon, with a portion of their length lyingparallel to the first-named rails, and the remainder thereof lyingtangentially thereto, a spaning member with practically U shaped seatsformed in the ends thereof and. adapted to receive the bases of thelastaiamed rails therein, and means for locking said bases therein.

6. The combination with the rails of a 'ailway track, of railssuperimposed there- .i

for drawing said plates toward each other.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

JAMES A. BOOTH.

